Winter wildlife

A pileated woodpecker hunts for insects in the wood of a dead tree as snow blankets the region over the weekend.

Pileated woodpeckers like this one stay in Minnesota year-round, braving the elements of each season, including winter, which officially begins December 21. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, "Pileated woodpeckers are the biggest woodpeckers in North America. A pileated is as big as a crow — about 16 to 19 inches tall. It has a fire-engine-red crest of feathers atop its head. It is the only woodpecker with a crest. The male pileated also has a red mustache."